Thursday, September 17, 2015

And the answer to the aspirin question is ...

Photo from Open Knowledge via Flickr
Those who are trying to prevent a stroke might feel like a ping pong ball.

There's been a bit of back and forth about who should take an aspirin every day to prevent strokes or heart attacks. Now, it seems we're now told that adults in their 50s should take aspirin daily:
Updated guidelines issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend daily low-dose aspirin for the prevention of heart attack and stroke among adults aged 50-59 who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease. ...
While adults aged 60-69 may benefit from daily low-dose aspirin, the new guidelines conclude that the decision to take daily aspirin among this age group should be made based on the patient's individual circumstances.
Contrary to the 2009 USPSTF guidelines, however, the new recommendations state there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest daily low-dose aspirin is beneficial for adults younger than 50 and older than 70.
As I've said before - before you start or stop taking aspirin, check with your health care provider!

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